Will CIOs Make it to the Boardroom?

Todays CIO is a problem-solvera person who has the business and leadership acumen as well as technological abilities to deal with the challenges and the issues. He is the one who is perfectly placed to see how technology can accelerate the operation of all business processes. There are several IT deployment challenges across the verticals and industries, and such issues always come to the CIO for a solution.

Having said that, the reality is that a lot of CIOs from several verticals and industries in India are not making it to the boardroom of an organization. However, this now needs to be changed with a lot of development happening across industries. Organizations now need to put a lot of emphasis in understanding the value that IT brings to the table. Though there are several instances during the recession when budgets had to be freezed and especially IT budgets were put on hold, which made the communication between a CFO and a CIO/CTO more difficult, Now that we see a recovery and sizable development made with the help of IT enabling tools during and post recession, CIOs are prepared to take up any kind of challenge and be a part of the decision making process.

Agrees Lt Col (retd) Shankar Gurkha, CIO, Gujarat Industries Power Company (GIPCL), I agree fully that most of them are not part of the boardroom. While in India the picture is not rosy, but global scenario too is not encouraging. No one in business has an iota of doubt that technology is the greatest enabler of any business. But businesses do have an issue giving place to CIOs in boardroom, which results in the biggest stumbling block that is, IT and business alignment. Due to focus on many e-governance projects, India is committed to harnessing the potential of technology and business to realize the increasing importance of it. Hence, CIOs do have bright future ahead where the spotlight will be on them to perform.

Says Vinod S Krishnan, CIO of Jubiliant Life Sciences, Grooming senior management professionals to reach the boardroom is a task for all business leaders. Reaching the boardroom requires high visibility and credibility, which comes only from outstanding achievements and contribution to business objectives and a sustained performance. IT leaders are fortunate that the available technology offers multiple options to transform the nature of the business fundamentally if deployed effectively.

According to Manoj Arora, global CIO, Bilcare, A CIO not in the board room or in the C-level business management team of the organization is yet to transition to a CIO role. Getting thereas a matter of personal importance is significantbut a bit lesser than the CIO role getting represented in the boardroom to drive the business and the operations strategy.

As mentioned in Arun Guptas (Group CIO, K Raheja Corp) blog, Although certain CIOs are yet to evolve to a level where they equal other CXOs within their companies, the majority of the CIOs have already reached a level of maturity to directly or indirectly advise their management on strategic and operational issues. Boards need to be competitive, but at the same time should continuously review internal and external relationship building by CXOs, and ensure that the CEOs create a pipeline of leaders.

Grooming and Training the CIO Successor

In todays IT driven business world, it is the role of a CIO to transform the business through IT but the situation seems to be ironical. There is only a handful of CEOs who agree to this kind of upgradation in the role of a CIO. The most important reason to justify this point is that unlike other department heads, CIOs have deep understanding of all the functions in an organization. The role of the CIO is going to be impactful, when IT comes off the boardroom agenda. Instead of being micro-managed by a board of directors, the CIOs should have freedom to solve real business and strategic problems, and delivering real value. says Kamal Sharma, CIO of Mindlance.

Says Gurkha of GIPCL, CIOs do not have a seat in the board room, but are expected to contribute in topline and bottomline of any business. As CIOs are not involved right from the inception stage, the gap between IT and business widens and all efforts of CIOs are channelized in reducing this gap. No roadmap exists to prepare CIOs for the board room. CIOs are under constant pressure of reducing TCOs. Very less focus is given to give appropriate training to the CIOs to groom them for the board.

Adds Arora, Since every organizations focus varies in context of the stage of business, there is no standard formula. However, 2 key things are to be extrovert and entrepreneurial; and to understand the unsaid expressions, behavior, expectations of people manifested in the form of customers and all known/unknown stakeholders.

Bringing CIOs Into the Limelight

Says Gurkha, I would go a step further and say that technology is a life-enabler, and there are many success stories such as Indian Railways. Technology brings many advantages such as transparency, fixes accountability, facilitates implementation and monitoring of accountability, provides real business intelligence, makes life simpler, and enriches life experience

High potential CIOs and CTOs should lead transformational projects that deliver disproportionately large results and use the success achieved to establish their visibility and credibility. The individual CIO/CTO needs to quickly recognize the potential of these technologies, be an evangelist and take risks early and frequently with full transparency. The business must support this by permitting and even encouraging this risk taking by recognizing and rewarding successes appropriately and learning from failures, says Krishnan of Jubiliant.

Believes Arora, Its a two-way chemistry between the person and the C-level team to catapult a person to the real CIO role. However, it depends more on the individual to, not only to get there, but also plan as to how he/she will sustain and constantly deliver strategc value to the business and the individual team members at the C-level.

Having debated about CIO making it or not making it to the boardroom, the key question isIs the CIO prepared? On the other hand, there is a lack of boardroom representation for IT in many organizations. We have a question for the board of directors toodo you still perceive IT as a mere support function or maybe a necessary evil in your organization? Are you training and grooming them to help reach them reach the boardrooms? Why cant they be a part of the board of directors in your organization? CIOs are awaiting to hear answers from you.

PC Suraj
surajp@cybermedia.co.in